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Updated: May 15, 2026
Pupillary Response as Assessment of Effective Seizure Induction by Electroconvulsive Therapy
Published on: April 11, 2019
Comparative study of the haemodynamic effects of propofol and thiopentone in modified electroconvulsive therapy in
F O Omosofe1, B O Bolaji, I K Kolawole
1Departments of Anaesthesia and Behavioural Sciences, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin.
Background:
Electroconvulsive therapy provokes abrupt changes in systemic haemodynamics. We compared the effects of propofol and thiopentone on haemodynamic responses of patients scheduled for ECT between September 2008 and March 2009 in two Nigerian tertiary hospitals.
Methods:
In a prospective, randomized study, 40 patients scheduled for ECT were allocated into 2 groups of 20 each. Anaesthesia was induced with either 1mg/kg propofol (PG) or 5 mg/kg thiopentone (TG) and 0.5mg/kg suxamethonium prior to ECT. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure- systolic (SBP), mean arterial (MAP) and diastolic (DBP) were taken before ECT and at 1 and 5 minutes postictal. The means of the increases in haemodynamic parameters were compared.
Results:
There were significant increases in mean HR in both groups at 1 and 5 min and the increases were comparable between the 2 groups (p = 0.784). The increases in SBP were not significant in both groups and were comparable (p = 0.988). The increases in mean DBP were not significant in both groups but it was significantly greater in TG (p = 0.012). Increase in MAP was significantly greater in the TG at 1 min (p = 0.028).
Conclusion:
Propofol at 1 mg/kg and thiopentone at 5 mg/kg used for modified ECT in this study resulted in significant increases in heart rates. However, a significant increase in mean arterial pressure with thiopentone and a significantly greater increase in diastolic blood pressure when the two agents are compared confer some superiority on propofol over thiopentone in attenuating haemodynamic responses to ECT.
